Cartoonist Jack Bonestell as "Tumbleweed Jack" works on cartoon for kids at the 1983 first anniversary party of the Thousand Oaks Library. Photo by Scott Harrison / The News Chronicle

Photo from last week of Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles after playing with the dark ghostly preset in Topaz Adjust 4.

Over the last three Sundays I took some images on my son Jon’s adult team playing in Simi Valley. Here is the dotphoto album.

Photo of snow drifts at Bear Mountain at Big Bear in 1996.

Photo from 1985 visit to the Grand Canyon shot on Kodachrome and scanned several years ago.

New on my flickr page are ten images from 1982-83 of Donna Fargo, civic leader and former stuntwoman. Needless to say, when I arrived in Thousand Oaks in 1982, she welcomed and introduced me to the city. Well, I am still here.

Short bio on Donna Fargo: Stagecoach Inn Web Site

Flickr photos: Donna Fargo Set

Photo taken back in January of the distortion from rain water on my car windshield. I just liked the effect.

Bonnie Morgan in character as "Sassafrass Thistlebottom.”

Yes, this little story is true. Just yesterday I posted images from the 1982 Renaissance Pleasure Faire. Then last night I stumbled across the Friends of Paramount Ranch web site. Today was a reunion for former members of the Renaissance Faire that was held from the mid-1960s to 1988 at the ranch.

So I dropped by and was welcomed today just as much as twenty-five years ago. The only difference - the stages, crowds, musicians , etc., were only a memory.

I did have one moment of déjà vu. While walking up one trail, I suddenly remembered the gate, flags, and hay bales that lined the very same trail. Later it was confirmed that the trail was the participants and press entrance.

About 50 attended today’s 12th reunion. Several wore their Renaissance Faire outfits. After enjoying picnic lunches, everyone marched up “Procession Hill” to have a memorial service to remember Renaissance Faire friends who have passed away. Several hundred names were read and many humorous memories shared.

In 1988, the Renaissance Pleasure Faire were forced to move to make way for a proposed development to be built at Paramount Ranch. Instead of spending the night researching and writing a history of Paramount Ranch, let’s just say that the development fell through and the land ended up with the National Park service.

But the Faire moved on to a long multi-year run at Glen Helen Regional Park in Devore. Currently the Faire is held at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale.

In addition to remembering old friends, today’s reunion was also a celebration that the former Renaissance Faire site is now preserved as open space for old farts - like me - to take a hike on a Sunday afternoon.


Old friends are remembered during memorial at former site of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire.

I added over thirty reunion photos to my Renaissance Pleasure Faire flickr set.

Luanne Blaich, of Woodland Hills, and Michael Morgan of Encino, at the 1982 Renaissance Pleasure Faire at Paramount Ranch near Agoura. Photo by Scott Harrison / The News Chronicle

Tonight I posted a batch of photos from the 1982 Renaissance Pleasure Faire to flickr. More to come.

Renaissance Pleasure Faire flickr set.

During the recent MacHeist Nano promotion, I was able to snag an upgrade to Rapidweaver. Today I am publishing a new version of my blog using the alpha theme. I stayed with Rapidweaver to keep my three year old blog active, but did this upgrade to allow use of larger images. Also there was that issue of time. I just do not have the time to learn a new blogging platform.

Enjoy the changes - more to come.


Photo taken in summer of 1981, of boy enjoying the warm waters off Naples, Florida.

Gallery of Naples, Florida sunsets.

This review was supposed to be the ultimate eight shooter shoot-out. My favorite 40 dollar red toy film camera, the Oktomat, versus the 1.99 Johnny come lately iPhone app, the QuadCamera.

But alas it was not to be. My trusty Oktomat wilted under the pressure and started refusing to advance its film correctly.

But first some background. Both the Otkomat camera and QuadCamera shoot eight frames onto one image. The Oktomat has eight tiny lenses that place eight images onto one frame of 35 mm film. Quad Camera places four or eight frames onto a single iPhone image.

About a month ago I downloaded QuadCamera. Right after this purchase, the Oktomat camera flipped out. The next couple rolls of film came back from the lab with the doubles and triples exposures I blogged about last week.


Two weeks ago I tried to do a shootout of the same subject. My Oktomat camera refused to advance film correctly, top, while QuadCamera images, below, came out great.



I tried a couple more rolls of film through the Oktomat camera, this time carefully advancing the film. The result is a random mixture of good frames, overlapped frames and multiple exposures.

So much for my shootout.

Well I am left with a quick review of QuadCamera.


Frame grab of QuadCamera.

QuadCamera version 2.30 was released on February, 23, 2010. The new version added in-App animated GIF export.

Main features:

4 or 8 serial shots.
0.1 to 3 seconds control between shots.
4 effects: bright, vivid, full, hi-contrast. Also black and white or no-effect.
Layout variation: 2x2, 4x1, 4x2, 8x1
Resolution 800 x 600
Email, Twitter export
And the Animated GIF export.

(Note the 8x1 layout is best viewed on a computer.)

When using QuadCamera, simply pick the settings and fire away. No post-processing functions.

Good program - I am giving it four stars. My main complaint was the very small type face used in the settings panel. I found the setting panel very hard to use in low light or without my glasses. This should be easy fix, as the setting panel does not fill the entire iPhone window.

Also I found the black and white very flat. Images shot in black and white needed post-processing to set a good white point and add contrast.

The vivid mode works great. I use it as my default.

The app is receiving about 33% five stars, with next largest group four stars. QuadCamera has got good reviews in Time, NY Times, MacWorld and many other websites.

One great feature is the gif animation. The eight images play back like a very quick video. Works great when the subject is moving. My problem, the two dogs just lay around and look at me.

Art & Mobile Web Site.

The final word on QuadCamera vs Oktomat.

QuadCamera gives good quality results and works every time. QuadCamera wins the shootout by default.

Oktomat camera gives grainy images and very unpredictable film advance. Results are unknown until the film is developed.

When I need results immediately, its QuadCamera. When I want a grainy mood, I will carefully use my Otkomat. Each has a place in my camera bag.


Gumballs taken yesterday with my iPhone and QuadCamera using vivid mode.

A turtle getting a ride on alligator in Naples, Florida, in November, 1982.

Photo taken Sunday, March 14th of trees reflected in creek next to Willow Bend picnic area of Conejo Creek North Park in Thousand Oaks. Image given artistiic look with Topaz Simplify 2 oil painting preset. iPhone photo.

During my dinner walk last night I found this artist vehicle parked next to the Victor Building. I used a Lightroom preset to warm and desaturate the image, than sharpened with Topaz Detail 2. Sign on the windshield http://www.kermitfrazier.com/. He does great work.

From my Lightroom files - 1984 sunset with fishermen and seagull at the harbor in Oxnard.

1982 photo from front seat in open cockpit aircraft over Santa Paula.

No, its not spring baseball, its my Oktomat camera. It will not properly advance film. Sometimes I get double exposures or more. But if I shoot multiple frames of the same scene, the result can be interesting. Above is a recent double exposed wall at a fast food restaurant. Below is a grayscale triple of the skylight in the Bradbury Building.

Sunday was a visit to the 23rd Spring Arts and Crafts Faire at Borchard Park in Newbury Park. Besides taking a few pics, I found myself chatting with various artists, especially ones where where doing some of their work in their booths. Enjoy the pics.

Flickr Photo Set.


Carl and Angela Carrubba, above, show off a tie-dye sheet at their Rainbow Tie-Dyes booth. Of course, I had to shoot a couple of happy face t-shirts on the iPhone and use PhotoTropedelic, below.

The first Apple iPad commercial was broadcast last night during the Oscars.

Link at Apple.com

UTube link

Four weeks till launch on April 3rd.